Senior Citizen Allotted Side Upper Berth In Train; X User Questions IRCTC's Seat Allocation Algorithm

An X user has raised concerns over alleged flaws in the ticket-booking system of Indian Railways, noting that a senior citizen was allotted an upper berth while younger co-passengers received lower berths.

"My 65-year-old father (senior citizen) was allotted a Side Upper berth on Train 12617, while in the same cabin, a young woman (early 20s) and a mid-40s male got the lower berths. How does IRCTC’s seat-allocation algorithm decide this?" the user asked in an X post on Nov. 25.

The user, who uses the X handle @CatchMeAbhiOrb, shared the incident and tagged the Railway Ministry and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, calling the situation "shocking." He asked how such an arrangement could be considered fair, pointing out that senior citizens often face difficulty climbing to upper berths.

"Do we really expect senior citizens to climb up and do the hard work? For a system that handles crores of bookings, basic prioritisation for elderly passengers shouldn’t be too much to ask. Please look into this, it’s long overdue," the user further said.

The post has fetched over 1,83,000 views with many people reacting that they have faced similar issues with seat allocation in the trains.

Indian Railways has also reacted to the viral post, clarifying that the "allocation of berths is a fully automated process."

To this another user asked: "Why can't the automation process be modified so that senior citizens get preference for lower berths?"

Others also raised similar concerns, questioning the seat allocation system by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the Indian Railways’ arm, which manages the train ticket bookings.

"The problem is they give lower birth only with the senior citizen quota, which needs to be separately booked," a user explained the process. However, pointing out a flaw with this process, others noted that there is a lack of awareness about this facility and that many people are not equipped to handle the booking on their own.

When another user suggested that the tickets may have been booked close to the journey, which could have led to the unavailability of lower berths. In response, the original poster clarified that there were 78 seats left at the time of booking.

In March, Vaishnaw had clarified that Indian Railways is making efforts to ease the process of allocating lower berths to senior citizens. 

"Senior citizens, female passengers aged 45 years and above and pregnant women are automatically allotted lower berths subject to availability, even if no specific choice is indicated during booking. In the event of vacant lower berths during the journey, preference is given to Senior Citizens, Persons with Disabilities, and pregnant women who may have been initially allotted middle or upper berths," he informed Lok Sabha.